Methods and apparatus for use of compact concurrent codecs in multimedia communications

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for session initiation in a conference. In one aspect, a method for communicating between multiple parties is disclosed. The method comprises generating, at a first device, a first message for transmission to a second device. The method further comprises receiving, at the first device, a second message for establishing a conference. The second message includes a list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the second device. The list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the second device comprises an indication of whether one or more resources usable for one or more concurrent instances of a first listed codec may instead be used for one or more concurrent instances of a second listed codec.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for communicating between multiple parties, the method comprising:
 generating, at a first device, for transmission to a second device, a request message configured to query capabilities of the second device; and 
 receiving, at the first device, a second message in response to the request message, the second message including a list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the second device, wherein the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the second device comprises an indication of whether or not one or more concurrent instances of a first listed codec for coding a media stream for transmission to the second device are replaceable by one or more concurrent instances of a second listed codec for coding the media stream for transmission to the second device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indication indicates that the one or more concurrent instances of the first listed codec can be replaced by the one or more concurrent instances of the second listed codec. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the indication comprises a “,” separating the first and second listed codecs. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indication indicates that the one or more concurrent instances of the first listed codec cannot be replaced by the one or more concurrent instances of the second listed codec. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the indication comprises a “;” separating the first and second listed codecs. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second listed codecs are presented in a session description protocol (SDP) format. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more concurrent codec capabilities in the list are ordered by computational complexity. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the second listed codec is less computationally complex than the first listed codec and wherein the second listed codec is listed after the first listed codec in a SDP format. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the second device includes a level specifying a level of a listed codec. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the second device includes a profile indicator indicating one or more tool sets available for a listed codec. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting, from the first device, the request message to the second device prior to a conference call with the second device; and 
 storing, at the first device, the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the second device. 
 
     
     
       12. An apparatus for initiating a multi-party, multi-stream conference that employs a plurality of codecs, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor configured to generate a request message for transmission to a first device, wherein the request message is configured to query capabilities of the first device; and 
 a receiver configured to receive a second message from the first device in response to the request message, the second message including a list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the first device, wherein the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the first device comprises an indication of whether or not one or more concurrent instances of a first listed codec for coding a media stream for transmission to the first device are replaceable by one or more concurrent instances of a second listed codec for coding the media stream for transmission to the first device. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the indication indicates that the one or more concurrent instances of the first listed codec can be replaced by the one or more concurrent instances of the second listed codec. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the indication comprises a “,” separating the first and second listed codecs. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the indication indicates that the one or more concurrent instances of the first listed codec cannot be replaced by the one or more concurrent instances of the second listed codec. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the indication comprises a “;” separating the first and second listed codecs. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second listed codecs are presented in a session description protocol (SDP) format. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more concurrent codec capabilities in the list are ordered by computational complexity. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the second listed codec is less computationally complex than the first listed codec and wherein the second listed codec is listed after the first listed codec in a SDP format. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the first device includes a level specifying a level of a listed codec. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the first device includes a profile indicator indicating one or more tool sets available for a listed codec. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a transmitter configured to:
 transmit the request message to the first device prior to the conference; and 
 storing, at the apparatus, the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the first device. 
 
     
     
       23. An apparatus for initiating a multi-party, multi-stream conference that employs a plurality of codecs, the apparatus comprising:
 means for generating a request message for transmission to a first device, the request message configured to query capabilities of the first device; and 
 means for receiving a second message from the first device in response to the request message, the second message including a list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the first device, wherein the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the first device comprises an indication of whether or not one or more concurrent instances of a first listed codec for coding a media stream for transmission to the first device are replaceable by one or more concurrent instances of a second listed codec for coding the media stream for tranmission to the first device. 
 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the indication indicates that the one or more concurrent instances of the first listed codec can be replaced by the one or more concurrent instances of the second listed codec. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the indication comprises a “,” separating the first and second listed codecs. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the indication indicates that the one or more concurrent instances of the first listed codec cannot be replaced by the one or more concurrent instances of the second listed codec. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the indication comprises a “;” separating the first and second listed codecs. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the first and second listed codecs are presented in a session description protocol (SDP) format. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more concurrent codec capabilities in the list are ordered by computational complexity. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the second listed codec is less computationally complex than the first listed codec and wherein the second listed codec is listed after the first listed codec in a SDP format. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the first device includes a level corresponding to a complexity of a media stream that a listed codec supports. 
     
     
       32. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the first device includes a profile indicator indicating one or more tool sets available for a listed codec. 
     
     
       33. The apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising a transmitter configured to:
 transmit the request message to the first device prior to the conference; and 
 storing, at the apparatus, the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the first device. 
 
     
     
       34. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method of:
 generating, at a first device, a request message for transmission to a second device, the request message configured to query capabilities of the second device; and 
 receiving, at the first device, a second message in response to the request message, the second message including a list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the second device, wherein the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the second device comprises an indication of whether or not one or more concurrent instances of a first listed codec for coding a media stream for transmission to the second device are replaceable by one or more concurrent instances of a second listed codec for coding the media stream for transmission to the second device. 
 
     
     
       35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the indication indicates that the one or more concurrent instances of the first listed codec can be replaced by the one or more concurrent instances of the second listed codec. 
     
     
       36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the indication comprises a “,” separating the first and second listed codecs. 
     
     
       37. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the indication indicates that the one or more concurrent instances of the first listed codec cannot be replaced by the one or more concurrent instances of the second listed codec. 
     
     
       38. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein the indication comprises a “;” separating the first and second listed codecs. 
     
     
       39. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the first and second listed codecs are presented in a session description protocol (SDP) format. 
     
     
       40. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more concurrent codec capabilities in the list are ordered by computational complexity. 
     
     
       41. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the second listed codec is less computationally complex than the first listed codec and wherein the second listed codec is listed after the first listed codec in a SDP format. 
     
     
       42. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the second device includes a level corresponding to a complexity of a media stream that a listed codec supports. 
     
     
       43. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the second device includes a profile indicator indicating one or more tool sets available for a listed codec. 
     
     
       44. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 transmitting, from the first device, the request message to the second device prior to a conference call with the second device; and 
 storing, at the first device, the list of one or more concurrent codec capabilities supported by the second device. 
 
     
     
       45. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining whether concurrent capability information associated with the second device is stored at the first device; and 
 based on a determination that concurrent capability information is not stored at the first device, transmitting the request message to the second device. 
 
     
     
       46. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, by the first device, a plurality of devices to invite to a conference call, the plurality of devices including at least the second device and a third device; 
 transmitting the request message to the second device; and 
 transmitting a second request message to the third device, the second request message being configured to query capabilities of the third device. 
 
     
     
       47. The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine whether concurrent capability information associated with the first device is stored at the apparatus; and 
 based on a determination that concurrent capability information is not stored at the apparatus, transmit, using the transmitter, the request message to the first device. 
 
     
     
       48. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine a plurality of devices to invite to a conference call, the plurality of devices including the first device and a second device; 
 transmit the request message to the first device; and 
 transmit a second request message to the second device, the second request message configured to query capabilities of the second device. 
 
     
     
       49. The apparatus of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 means for determining whether concurrent codec capability information associated with the first device is stored at the apparatus; and 
 means for, based on a determination that concurrent codec capability information associated with the first device is not stored at the apparatus, transmitting the request message to the first device. 
 
     
     
       50. The apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 means fir determining a plurality of devices to invite to a conference call, the plurality of devices including the first device and a second device; 
 means for transmitting the request message to the first device; and 
 means for transmitting a second request message to the second device, the second request message configured to query capabilities of the second device. 
 
     
     
       51. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 44 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining whether concurrent codec information associated with the second device is stored at the first device; and 
 based on a determination that concurrent codec capability information associated with the second device is not stored at the first device, transmitting the request message to the second device. 
 
     
     
       52. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining, by the first device, a plurality of devices to invite to a conference call, the plurality of devices including the second device and a third device; 
 transmitting the request message to the second device; and 
 transmitting a second request message to the third device, the second request message being configured to query capabilities of the third device.